One common misconception is that vaccinations cause harmful side effects. According to the CDC, most side effects from vaccinations are minor. The CDC says the most common side effects typically involve a mild fever or soreness at the site of the injection. The CDC recommends taking acetaminophen before or after the injection to control these side effects.

Another misconception, according to the CDC, is that certain lots of vaccinations are harmful, and people should try to avoid getting vaccinations from these lots.

The CDC says that this misconception is based on the number of side effects reported, that people think that more side effects are associated with a certain lot, the more harmful the entire lot is. The CDC says that side effects are not caused by the lot that vaccine came from. The CDC says that only some of the serious side effects that are reported are actually linked to the vaccines, and that most of the serious illnesses people think were associated with the vaccine are actually not. The CDC says some people fall ill after a vaccine by chance – that it wasn’t caused by the vaccination but that it was a coincidence that they got sick after the injection.

The CDC also assures people that the FDA regulates the production facilities that the vaccines are created in, and that each manufacturer safety-tests each lot of vaccines that is created. The FDA reviews the safety-tests and can request repeat tests as a safety measure. The CDC also says that if there is thought to be a problem with a vaccine, or a certain lot of the vaccine, that the FDA would issue a recall.

Another misconception is since the U.S. has eliminated most vaccine-prevented diseases from its population there is no need to get the vaccinations. According to the CDC, while it is true that the U.S. has been able to lower the levels of many vaccination-prevented diseases, there is still risk of contracting the disease from visiting international travelers.

According to the CDC, another misconception is vaccinating children against multiple diseases at once puts the child at higher risk for harmful side effects and can overload the immune system. According to the CDC, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics determined that giving multiple vaccinations at once is just as effective as giving them individually, and that these combinations don’t put the child at higher risk for side effects.